To our fellow readers-

We all want our voice to be heard, and for some that is easier than others. This blog was meant to give a voice to the students of TrekNorth-- to those who have a strong voice and strong ideas, and to those whose voices are meek, yet ideas bold. I applaud those of you who put your heart on your sleeve and wrote about what mattered to you, what you wanted the world to hear. I applaud those of you who wrote (and rewrote) your blogs because you had to even though -the entire time- it felt like you were walking on nails.  Not only do I applaud all of you, I thank you.

As you read this blog, please find it in yourself to be tolerant, understanding, accepting. I believe you all have the right to be heard and to comment,  but if you can't comment anything nice, please don't comment at all. Or, at least make sure your comments matter so much to you that you sign them with your own name.

Now, I leave you with one of my all-time favorite quotes: "I may not agree what you have to say, but I will fight to the death for you to say it." - Voltaire.
So, write on, read on, and comment on!

-elh.

Who Is The Best Player In The NBA?

There are several basketball players on our planet, but there are few who play in college, and even few who play professionally.  The NBA is the world’s biggest basketball company ever to be created and will be the big boy in the basketball business until basketball ends.  The teams have to create an enormous amount of physical and emotional endurance to push through the season, but the leaders that lead the team are the ones with the most skills.  Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James are the only players in the NBA with these qualities and the statistics to back them up...  They are the elite of the elite.

Dwayne Wade is a 6’4’’, 220 pound guard that plays for the Miami Heat, a title-contending team on the East Coast.  Wade has the ability to cut to the paint with ease, which is a rare quality in guards, especially in the NBA.  This combined with his uncontested athleticism makes him a force around the basket despite being half a foot smaller than players who lurk down there.  His jump shot could improve, but it miraculously seems to improve in situations full of tension and pressure.  All of these attributes of Wade’s game has earned him the one NBA title under his belt, and he is hungry for another this year.

Kevin Durant is the youngest player in the NBA who can contend with any other player in the NBA.  This 6’9’’, 235 pound forward is the best scorer in the league at only 23 years old.  He has two seasonal scoring titles under his belt.  Durant has led his young franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder, into winning records three years in a row.  Even though he is young blood, Kevin Durant has already made a name for himself in the most challenging basketball league in the world.  His scoring overshadows his defense, though.  He has trouble defending other stronger, more experienced forwards.  But if he improves this, he will go down as one of the best players in history.

This next player is something special, as if he was crafted by the basketball gods themselves.  LeBron James has been in the NBA spotlight since he was a mere 17 years-old.  NBA analysts said he could have done well in the NBA with the skillset he had as a junior in high school.  James stands at 6’8’’ and weighs 250 pounds.  His offensive game is one of the best in the NBA, being able to score from everywhere on the court.  But the thing that sticks out is his defense.  James is the only player in the league who can defend all five positions, a trait that some would kill to have in their arsenal.  Even though he is the most hated player in the NBA, he is also the best.  

These players have honed their skills since they were in elementary school, so they definitely deserve what they have.  Wade, Durant, and James have endured much to get to where they are now.  But, there will always be critics that will pull apart their games.  Opinions also exist, however.  And my opinion is that these men are on the road to greatness.

~Chamalmy

The Dreamer!

Have you ever had a dream, and when you woke up it never seemed to go away? And, even though you have tried so many times to make it a reality and it never worked out, but you just couldn't bring yourself to forget about it? Many people will tell you that it'll never come true, and that you are crazy to think that something so amazing could ever happen to you. Those are the people who lost sight of their dreams and are willing to crush others.  So, if you haven't noticed many people at TrekNorth applied of the Mentorship Grant, a grant to have the chance to improve in an art form, which can be any where from visual art to drama. What these young artists hope to achieve through their one year mentorship is to become a pro at what they do and be able to present it to their community and maybe even world wide. The mentorship grant gives $600.00 to the young artist that is anywhere from 8th grade to 12th grade. The money that they have reserved is goes to their mentor and art supplies that they may need ($550.00 goes to their mentor and the $50.00 that remains goes to to art supplies).  When the youth of our community applies for this grant, they must hand it in by the due date and wait to hear if they had passed to the next round which is the interview. In the interview, the student will be asked to present their work and explain why they believe they deserve the grant and why it is so important to them.  Every TrekNorth student that had applied for the grant has reserved it, so congratulations! Use your time wisely, and please don't take it for granted!      By now you are probably wounder why my blog is tittled the dreamer and why I have mentioned the mentorship program the reason is because I had applied of the grant last year and didn't reseave it. When I got the letter in the mail letting me that I hadn't raved the grant I was devastated thought I was never going to do art ever again. But after I got ahold of my scenes I seen it as an opportunity to become a better artist and try even harder next time I applied.      This year when I applied for the grant I decided to think more deeply into every word that I typed and chose my art pieces wisely having everything that I needed to improve on in the paper. After I was done handing in my paper (I had a couple people proofread it prior to handing it in), I asked a very inspiring teacher to help me go over the things I would say in the interview. After she gave me some very helpful tips, I was on my way and confident. The night before my interview seemed like forever, I had laid awake for a couple of hours before falling a sleep even though I knew that I needed my sleep for the next emotional day.   When I woke up the next morning, pretty early, I told myself I was going to be just fine although I didn't believe a word that I was saying. I told myself to go with it. By the time my mother was driving me to my interview, my nerves kicked in and I couldn't shut-up if my life depended on it. My mother acted like she didn't notice that I was jumping subject to subject while talking her ear off.  As we drew near the building, she had helped me rehearse what I was going to say. Before my interview had actually started, I had become extremely calm (if I didn't know any better I would've pronounced myself dead). When I was called for my interview I just repeated this in my head: Make yourself a promise... Be tough, only tougher,  Be strong, only stronger, Be you, only better.  When I was talking about my art and why it was so important to me, it felt like I was going to die because I was so scarred that I wasn't going to get the grant again ... and lucky for me the council couldn't smell fear and if they had they would of riped me to shreds.  As the two weeks of waiting grew near, I had became very worried because some people in my school where already getting accepted! On top of that, I had discovering the changes in how many people where actually getting the grant. I started to freak out in fount of my teacher, but she told me that every thing was going to be just fine.  That night, right before sections (it's a big meet in track and field), I had received a package regarding my grant.  At first when my mother told me that I had gotten something in the mail, I begged her to read it first.  Then I saw the package. I hugged my mom so hard, and she said that I hadn't even read it yet, but I didn't need to because I was told what it would look like if I had gotten it.

to meet anne frank...

The planet Earth is home to billions of human beings, each one with their own style, personality, and outlook. Out of all of these people, past, present, or future, Anne Frank is the person I would treasure meeting. Anne Frank has a sort of draw, to me, something that I've always felt. I admire Anne because of her beliefs regarding human beings, her superb writing abilities, and also for her story.

Anne Frank had a certain belief that humans are not truly bad, and that inside, every person is truly good. This outlook is so impeccable because it came from a teenaged girl in a period where she was discriminated against. Through all the horrid, wretched things that Anne was put through, she had a strong insight, an orb of luminescence thrust up into an abstract world of sheer darkness and cruelty – a seemingly rare characteristic in some people.

Aside from her outlook, Anne certainly had a way with words. She had an impeccable writing talent. It has provided inspiration for many people, including myself. I love writing. Words seem to come to me, pouring, flowing, instantly appearing in my mind. They rush like a waterfall, roaring and spilling out, creating sentences, paragraphs, entire pages of my creation. The ability to write is a gift, and it was anything but absent in Anne. Anne was able to describe two years spent hidden away in an Annex in a wildly engulfing manner, the words wrapping around the reader, carrying them to the Annex. While conveying the emotions filling her setting, Anne was able to convey an internal conflict. She was transitioning from a girl to a woman amidst a world torn apart by war. Her story was told during a part of her life where she was beginning to understand the world, but also was forced to understand.

Anne was thrown into a world of damage, death, and hatred. Her family and others she cared about were murdered because of their religion. She was in no paradise. She was in a torturous, cruel, hell. What Adolf Hitler and the Nazis did was vulgar and horrid, an experience to which no common American teenager could relate. Living through that terror had to be demeaning and terrifying. People stood by helpless as their friends and loved ones were slaughtered or sent to the deadly gas chambers. They stole to keep themselves and those they cared for alive. People were lied to and greatly mistreated for things they didn't do, and Anne had to go through this as a young teenaged girl.

The main reason I would like to meet Anne Frank is to hear her story from her. To hear her voice, with real emotions and real words. I want her perspective, with her insight as rare as an iridescent blue moon. Anne Frank had the ability to inspire generations, and that's exactly what she did. She inspired me. To hear her voice, her story, loud and true, first-hand, I believe could move a nation, and that experience would be a gift.   -hs

A Day in the Life of Ben Rudnick

 You may think that being Ben Rudnick is easy, oh but it is not as easy as it looks. Usually I will wake up at around 7:45- do you know how hard it is to keep a body like this looking good in the morning? It consists of picking out whatever clothes I feel like wearing, and who knows what I want to wear- Hollister? Or ...well that's really about it, I guess. Who knows though what color boxers I want to wear in the morning- stripes or just a random color? Sweatpants or jeans? What ever the body feels like wearing. Then, at about 8:00, it's time to go to school. My mom will drive my brother and me. I usually get to school at 8:10 and when I get there, I hang out with friends for the 20 minutes before the bell.  

First hour I have Algebra 1- my least favorite. I just hate math. I'm pretty bad at math and the only good thing about that class is I have good friends in the class. 

Then comes second hour- one of the best classes of the day because it's quiet study.  I get to do my homework, which I don't have to at home. Also in quiet study I hangout with friends- maybe even play basketball. Then third hour, which is my favorite class. 

Finally comes lunch, which is the best part of the day because I get to sit and eat with all my friends- and just take a break from school. Then after that it's fourth hour - painting, which is a blast because I can talk the whole time as long as I'm doing my work. Kristin is the best art teacher I have ever had. 

The school day is almost done as I head to fifth hour, which is composition. I suck at English, but Erica makes the class a little bit more fun... but I will probably have to write more blogs and blogs and guess what more blogs, which I feel like no one even reads even though you can find them on the Trek North website. 

And, then, school is over. After school I usually hang out with friends. Then, at around 6:00, I will have dinner.  Most of the time my mom will make something good. Then depending what is on TV that night, I might watch something or if nothing is on I will go outside and play basketball. 

At 11:00 I will brush my teeth and go to bed just hoping for some sweet dreams, which of course I always have. That is the day in the life of Benjamin Scott Rudnick!

My Reaction To: The 2015 ESPNU Terrific 25

Recently, the ESPNU Terrific 25 rankings were released alongside the ESPNU Super 60 and ESPNU 100.  These rankings are released every year around the end of May, setting loose the most accurate rankings on the face of the planet.  The top two prospects, Karl Towns and Mickey Mitchell, may be worthy for the first two spots-  but Diamond Stone as number three?  I don’t think so.  The first three spots are the most crucial, and I will list who I think are worthy of these three spots.

The number three spot of my rankings list goes to Mickey Mitchell.  He is a very athletic 6’6’’, 210 pound power forward who plays for the Prestonwood Lions, a nationally ranked high school basketball team.  Mitchell has a very reliable jump shot while still being able to be a force in the paint due to his size.  But, the most spectacular thing of all is his court vision.  Mitchell can pass like no other freshman in his class, and that has proven to make him a force on the court offensively.  His defensive is also stellar, much better than fellow forwards Jamar Ergas or Kejuan Johnson.

The second best player in the 2015 class is Marcus Lovett Jr.  Lovett is a 5’11’’, 155 pound point guard who has taken over the basketball scene in this past year.  He has just emerged playing for Providence High School in Burbank, California by averaging 33 points per game.  He has a good handle on the ball and can get anywhere on the court with this ability.  Lovett’s jump shot is probably the most impressive attribute about his game.  He has major range on his shot, ranging out to around 24 feet.  With his unique quickness and ability to get into the paint, Lovett could be the best player in his class by his senior year.

Out of all the basketball players in 2015, including myself, Karl Towns Jr., is the best of them all.  Some basketball analysts and critics have been calling Towns the next Kevin Durant, who is a star in the NBA and plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The 6’11’’, 235 pound center is a complete monster on the floor.  He has a huge tendency to block shots, averaging about four per game in his freshman season at St. Joseph’s in New Jersey.  His post game is a huge part of his game also, using his size to push past his defender.  Unlike other centers, though, Towns has range on his jump shot out to 25 feet.  He averaged two three-pointers a game, which is unheard of for young prospects that are almost seven feet tall.  On top of all this, he and his team won the New Jersey State Championship this past year.

The class of 2015 is loaded with prospects that have massive potential to succeed in basketball, but these three players right now have the best potential out of them all.  Mitchell, Lovett, and Towns have put in countless hours of work to make their games undeniably and critically superior to their peers.  If they keep their work ethic the same as it is now, these three young men may be able to play basketball for their careers.

~Chamalmy

day in the life of dallas blevins

After reading a blog written by a young man who goes by the name of Ben Rudnick, I decided to let the world know about how my day goes. After reluctantly get up in the morning at 5:50, I do my hair- and this takes around a half hour. What? You don't believe me? Well, it's not like I just throw up my hair.... Ha! No... After this, I brush my my teeth and get a wet wash cloth for my face. I go back to my room and put on my makeup. This takes up to 45 minutes. When I am done with my makeup, I then pick out my outfit for the day. Jeans or Jeans? Shirt or Shirt? Neckless or Neckless? What ever my body feels like wearing. 

7:15 A.M. I go to the bus stop and wait for the bus, otherwise I get dropped off by my mom before she goes to work. Once I get to school, I take some time to take care of my tarantula or gerbils. Then I hang with friends and more than likely end up going to the store. When I get back to school, its around 8:25 A.M., and I head off to Charlie's first hour. Not one of my favorite hours, but on the plus side, I get to hang out with the oh-so-well-known Ben Rudnick.

Then comes second hour- physical science. Physical science is one of my favorite classes because I actually get and understand it. 

QUIET STUDY TIME! In this hour, I usually don't do homework, but hang out with Kali. I don't think Chance (the study hall dude) like me or Kali for we harass him.

And of course, we have lunch now. Lately I have been eating outside with my peeps enjoying a basketball game. After the lunch, I have my fourth hour- PAINTING! Art, my absolute favorite hour, is the hour I get to relax and talk with friends and do what I love to do, which is anything art related. The famous Ben Rudnick is also in this class, but I choose not to sit by him for he annoys the crap out of me.

Then, finally, Ben Rudnick follows me to my fifth hour class -composition. In composition, we do blogs, and review terms, and other composition like things.

Schools out at 3:10! Woo-hoo! After school, I either ride the bus home or I hang out with Sadie. Around 5 PM, I have dinner at my house, then I go to my room and watch a movie or do some homework. I do not watch T.V. because I believe it's a unrealistic dream for the common American.

Then I go to bed and have the bitter dreams I do.

This is the day of Dallas Blevins!

Easter Island

Not many people have heard about one the most intriguing historical mysteries: Easter Island. It lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, secluded by almost 2500 miles of water (BBC). The Rapanui, the people of Easter Island, were an amazing civilization that were nearly wiped out by a series of terrible tribulations. In only a few centuries, their society was reduced to only about 100 people (BBC), which in turn led to loss of much of the Rapanui unusual culture. Although science is attempting to piece together their story, there is no person that can really tell us about the original people of Easter Island. No one could really tell us about how the amazing statues they built, that ultimately led to their downfall. 

Scientists and scholars have debated about where the original population of Easter Islanders originated from; however, only recently has genetic science resolved the great question: where did they sail from? DNA evidence from the skeletons excavated on Easter Island, have been studied, and “contain a so-called Polynesian motif (BBC)”. It is believed that these people arrived on the island around A.D. 400 (Clark). The society was booming and by the year 1550, the population rose to an estimated 9,000 people (Clark).  One of the most interesting parts of the Rapanui culture were the colossal statues that they created and moved around the island. These statues, called moai, are said to have been made to immortalize a specific chief, and to watch over the people and to worship their ancestors (BBC). Unfortunately, though, these moai triggered the downfall of the Rapanui society.

  When the first European, Dutchman Jacob Roggenveen, arrived on Easter Island in 1722, he reported a land devoid of trees (Smithsonian). Studies show that Easter Island used to be covered in palm trees, however, the moai that the Rapanui created, required extensive amounts of trees to make and move. The complete deforestation of Easter Island was the product of the Rapanui obsession with moai. Treeless, soil erosion hit farming and these people were unable to make canoes to fish, or to escape the horror of their own making (BBC). They turned on each other and resorted to cannibalism.

This led to one disaster after another because after 1722 it became fashionable for explorers to visit Easter Island. However, with new visitors come new diseases. There was an outbreak of Syphilis, which has appeared in the bones of many of the native islanders (BBC). Nonetheless, their hardships weren’t finished there. In 1862, Peruvian slave traders captured 1,500 Rapanui people, which at the time was one third of the population, and took them to South America. After a year, they were brought back to their homes, but only 15 had survived. The survivors didn’t know what they had returned with. But by 1877, a smallpox epidemic left only 111 Rapanui people alive.

Now, after all these years of regrowth, the Easter Islanders are still affected by the creation of moais. All the inhabitants of Easter Island now have Chilean roots and have only passed down fragmented bits and pieces of their ancestors’ culture and legends (BBC). And now, even after all the culture these people have already lost, the 21st century is taking over. As of a few months ago, Easter Island has a new luxury hotel. I believe that this advance in attempting to attract tourism is going to cause these people to lose even more of their culture.

KW

inspirational person

If I could meet anyone in the world, I would like to meet someone who would inspire me, such as Brandon Houston, an eight year old cancer patient. I have read about him through many articles and would love to meet him. Believe it or not, I could care less if I met a famous person. I would much rather meet a cancer patient and talk to him/her about their life and all the struggles and triumphs that come with it. I think I would gain a lot of compassion and sympathy if I ever had the chance to meet Brandon. I think he is a very down to earth person, as well as, kind and empathetic.  

I don’t have much knowledge about cancer, or how much harder life would be to live with this disease, as well as, the effects it has on close family members. However, if I had the chance to meet a cancer patient such as Brandon, I would probably be astonished to learn how much more difficult living a life with cancer truly is. Through meeting Brandon, I think I would be much more grateful for my own life and health, knowing that so many people have it much worse than I do. The inspiration I would receive from talking to this little eight year old boy would be life altering. Not only would I gain a lot of knowledge, but I would also gain wisdom and compassion. I think knowledge, compassion, and respect  would develop fairly quickly through a brief conversation with this little boy, which would be very helpful to me  in my own life, and greatly benefit me in the future.

Although I admire and have read much about Brandon Houston and and his everyday struggles, it would be so much different to actually meet him in person. He seems to be a very intelligent young man. In my opinion, Brandon knows the true meaning of life. He has many stories to share, and kindness to spread. I think there would be many benefits to meeting a cancer patient and many important life lessons that could be learned. 

Although Brandon may only be eight years old, he has the heart of an angel. Brandon has experienced many traumas throughout his short life, but he’s staying strong and he’s holding on. He seems like a very optimistic person who just loves life and never takes life for granted. Brandon has many outstanding qualities which I would love to obtain for myself, and I would greatly enjoy the opportunity to meet him.

-KB

Let's Speed Things Up a Bit!

    Have you ever been in line at a coffee shop, eagerly waiting for the barista behind the counter to take your order and get you your delicious caffeinated beverage, but the line just doesn't seem to be moving. You look towards the front of the line only to see somebody asking the barista what each and every drink consists of, and what the difference is between a latte and a cappuccino. When it is early in the morning and you need to get your caffeine, being stuck in this situation can be one of the most irritating times of your life. For those of you who often find yourselves being at the root of this problem (i.e. the confused customer), please read the following tips on how to order at a coffee shop.

Tip 1: Know what you want before you get to the front.

    Instead of just sitting there on your phone while you're in line, use the time to think of what you want. If you are not familiar with ordering coffee or you don't know the menu at this particular coffee shop, look up at the menu while you're in line. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone get to the front of the line after spending the last five minutes on their phone, and they are completely clueless as to what they want.

Tip 2: Keep it simple.

    If you aren't experienced when it comes to ordering coffee, don't make things more complicated than they need to be. Trust me, rehearsing your complicated order over and over in your mind will not make you sound like some sort of espresso expert. Doing this increases the chance that the barista will not understand part of your order and most likely mess it up.

Tip 3: Stick to the basics.

    When ordering at a coffee shop that you're unfamiliar with, stick to a generic coffee menu. I guarantee that almost every coffee place has the same major items: latte, cappuccino, mocha, macchiato, and americano, or black coffee. If you order your drink based on one of these major beverages and avoid using coffee slang, your order will probably come out the way you expected it to.

    If you follow these three major steps while ordering your next coffee, you may find that you not only get your drink sooner, but you also help others by allowing them to order. If you know somebody that could use help in ordering their coffee, please tell them these steps or have them read it themselves.

HB

Faith

Faith

by anonymous

Faith is like a candle flame,

a glow that keeps us strong,

And faith is there see us

through when things seem

to go wrong.

life's not always easy,

We're bound to have

some sorrow.

But faith can help to

get us through,

To a better day, tomorrow.

So when you burn

this candle, And you see

its steady light.

Remember that your

faith will help,

Make dark days seem

more bright.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we have a program just for  the young women who are ages 12 to 18, at church in our Sunday and Wednesday classes we are taught core values to help us become better people. The values are faith, divine nature, choice and accountability, knowledge, virtue, integrity, good works, and individual worth. Out of all of these values, I think Faith is the most important. Without faith life is really hard, faith helps me to get through the challenges of just trying to be a good person in a hard world. President Gordon B. Hinckley (the president of our church) said in a conference talk: "This is my prayer for all of us. ... Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. ... Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. ... Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequences follow." The Prophet Joseph Smith further revealed through his inspired revision of the Bible that faith was the "assurance of things hoped for". There is a difference between Faith, Belief, and Hope even though they are often used interchangeably. Although we cannot have faith without belief and hope, we can believe without having faith. Faith is interwoven with other gospel, goodly attributes, especially hope and charity. I've learned that doubt and fear diminish as my faith increases. The more I believe in and learn about our Heavenly Father, the more I have faith that everything he does is for my good and that he will always be there to carry me when I fall.

Faith helps me learn about Christ's divine attributes, including His undying love for everyone. The more I learn about Jesus Christ the easier it is to become like him and to learn to love everyone-even those who make me mad or who hurt me.

My parents and my church have taught me to have faith in Jesus Christ. They taught me that first I have to have a desire to have more faith, and then I need to study, pray, provide service and sacrifice, and also be more personally righteousness.

My mom says that the more we study the scriptures the more we learn about Jesus and Heavenly Father. The more we know about or learn about something the easier it is to believe it's true and not doubt. The Prophet Joseph Smith instructed, "Faith comes by hearing the word of God through the testimony of the servants of God."

Prayer is the way we communicate with our Heavenly Father; prayer helps us to listen to him and draw closer to him. The more we pray to Him, the more we talk to Him, and the easier it is to listen to Him. The Apostle Paul counseled that through our prayers we "might perfect that which is lacking in [our] faith."

My parents have always tried to teach me to serve others and sacrifice my time to help others. We are also taught to sacrifice 10 percent of our income to help those in need and to learn to give back to Heavenly Father what he so freely gives us. Jesus Christ sacrificed His life so we could live with him again. I think that by sacrificing my time and money to serve and help others is very little compared to the sacrifice he made for me. 

I also need to be righteous in my words and actions. If I'm not righteous or working to become a better person and more like Christ how can I expect him to be there for me and to never doubt that he is there for me. The Savior taught, "If any man will do  God's will, he shall know of the doctrine.

I do know that it's easy to lose my faith, if I don't constantly repent, take the sacrament, and keep my covenants that I've made to my Heavenly Father he doesn't have to keep his promises to me.

My brother will be serving a mission for our church next year. (Our church asks all young men that are worthy and 19 years of age to leave their homes and serve missions to an area for two years). His faith  to be able to leave home for two years and to go out and preach the gospel, to teach and reach others, so that they can have faith is very important to me, his example helps to strengthen my faith. The faith of my parents and others who have overcome negative things also increases my faith. I'm thankful for the way they share their faith and help strengthen my faith. I think everyone should know about Heavenly Father and his love for us, I hope that by being more faithful, I can help others be strong and grow to know Heavenly Father.

Pastafarianism

   You know about all the big religions, Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.  However, there is one that is not taught about in schools, it's called Pastafarianism.  I am a loyal Pastafarian.

    Pastafarianism is a religion based on the belief that the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe.  On the first day, the Flying Spaghetti Monster separated the water from the heavens; on the second day, due to the fact that he cant swim for very long he created land and a beer volcano.  When he was done, he drank way to much beer and awoke hungover.  He had many drunken nights and many clumsy afternoons.  He then accidentally created land and seas again (he forgot that he already did this) and created heaven and a midget, he called this midget Man.  Man and equally short Woman lived peacefully in the Olive Garden of Eden until the Flying Spaghetti Monster caused a flood in a horrible cooking accident.

    Pastafarians believe that the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the omniscient ruler of the universe.  The first to realize this were pirates.  They worshiped and spread word of the giant Flying Spaghetti Monster that was the creator of the Earth.  Pirates were the very first Pastafarians.  It is believed by Pastafarians everywhere that the lack of pirates in the world has lead to the anger felt by the great Flying Spaghetti Monster and caused him to heat up the world, thus creating global warming.  However, people dressing up as pirates on Halloween is appreciated by the Flying Spaghetti Monster and is thought of as a memorial of all his lost followers throughout the centuries.  This is the only thing keeping him from destroying the entire universe.

    I believe that Pastafarianism should be taught in school along with all of the other religions.  If we only teach about a select few, we aren't really teaching about religion.  Pastafarianism is just as important as any of the other religions that are taught in schools.  So why leave it out?  If you support teaching about all the religions in the world then help put Pastafarianism on the list.

Pippin

Pippin is a big, silly, long-haired orange and white male cat.  He is goofy and gets into things.  (Right now he is investigating behind the computer.)  He likes to sit on math homework and get reassuring tummy rubs.  Pippin has a way of greeting me where I put down my hand for him to sniff and then he rubs up against it.  He tries to be snuggly with everyone, including Suli, our chubby tortoise shell cat who doesn’t actually like other cats.  That’s why we had to get Pippin his own two cats.  It started when we fostered a litter of four kittens for the Humane Society.  When the mother of the four got too sick to stay with us, Pippin took over as the kittens’ mama.  We often saw one very large long hair orange and white male cat happily curled up with four tiny vigorously purring fuzzballs.  He was an excellent mama!  He would let the kittens tag along with him around the house.  And he would give them cat baths and play with them gently.  As the kittens grew up they took to settling down on our shoulders.  Pippin saw how comfortable and snuggly they were up there and decided to try it himself.  Now, he is rather larger than any of these kittens, so he ended up draping over our shoulders in a not quite so snuggly manner.  

Since we were fostering the kittens, there was an agreement that we had to give them back when they were old enough to get adopted.  Darn.  That is always the hardest part of fostering kittens, and it was the hardest part for Pippin too.  When we gave the kittens back, Pippin kept looking around the house for them, perhaps wondering where they’d gone.  We could tell that he missed them and was a little lonely too.  Suli was no help.  A few months later when we visited the Humane Society, we found that two of the kittens were still there, black sisters named Lynn and Lilith.  We had a family meeting to discuss getting one of them for Pippin, and decided that we had to get both of them since it was impossible to choose.  Besides, the best toy for a kitten is another kitten.  Pippin was ecstatic!  He had two cats to snuggle with again.  Now, a year later, Pippin takes his spot in the middle of the sandwich and the two black girls sleep on either side of him.  Suli sleeps alone.  They are all four happy cats.

-lf

love

Austin Jones

Composition I

5/24/12

Blurb: FINAL!

Love, what is love?  What kinds of love are there? How many kinds of love do you experience in a day? Who can give and receive love? Love, to me is any affection of any kind given by one and received by another. The denotation of love is:  1.a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. 2.a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend. 3. sexual passion or desire. 4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person;sweetheart. Can any one love any one? These are pressing questions that need to be answered.

I will start by addressing the kinds of love there is. The first that pops into my head is the love between two people that hopefully results in the two becoming married. The love between two should be forever but not every person has an opportunity to say “I do”. Any person can say “yes” to their special someone but, can only say “I do” in five states and Washington D.C. in the United States that support same-sex marriage. . Love should be available to anyone and everyone, everywhere. Love should not be illegal. 

Anyone can give love and anyone can receive love; even though we are capable of giving love, some never give nor receive love. Everyday people are rejected from their families for being different and everyday people are beaten or tortured in their home by their families. People are discriminated, let only killed for being different. These people almost never get to experience love, the love from their parents or love from anyone in the family, they are pushed away and labeled an outcast. These people can never give love back to their families because their families don’t love them back. Although all of these people try to give love, no one is willing or there to accept it.

Love is not just love that should end up in marriage or the love you get from your family; you experience love in just about every way. You most often experience love from your friends. Your friends give you love in different way, such as a pat-on-the-back, giving you a hug, or a genuine “hello, how is your day going”. You can also experience these different kinds of love from coworkers and even neighbors. Love, even in its simplest forms can be the most effective, if only people would stand and hand it out. Hand it out to your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, boyfriend/girlfriend, or complete strangers; giving love out to people, anyone will definitely brighten up their day!

In conclusion, love should be respected in all forms.  To separate two people from each other based on old and unfair traditions is completely unfair and unreasonable.  If we could learn that love is universal and powerful, we wouldn’t have to make any marriage illegal. Love no matter what form so be respected and never unavailable to anyone. Love, the bond between to human being is strong, ever growing, and never will be broken.

aj

Dude.

The word I choose is dude.  Dude means ‘ a stylish fastidious man ‘ which has obviously changed over time.  The word probably originated from the German language in the late 19th century. Dude is used all too commonly considering the fact that the word dude means ‘fool’ in German dialect. If someone was to call another person by dude, they would be calling them ‘fool’, which in my opinion, would be offensive. But, not many people know the origin of the word, so, it doesn't really matter.  -djp

difference

What word do I want people to know the true meaning of...What word do I want people to the true meaning of? Most any word can mean many things and most any word can mean different things in a different context situations, we all know this to be true. But what is the true meaning of a word, is it the first intended purpose of the word or is it the reference that is most used? When you hear the word: “different” what is the first thing that pops into your head is it the difference of two numbers or two unlike things? To me different is the difference of two numbers or two unlike things. Although these situation that use the word different as its intended meaning, we should not use the denotation of different for a excuse to bully or discriminate against anyone or for that matter any thing.

The denotation of different is as follows;1.  not alike in character or quality; differing;  dissimilar: The two are different.2. not identical; separate or distinct: three different answers. 3. various; several: Different people told me the same story. 4. not ordinary; unusual. These definitions can actually used in the situation of a person being different, but they should be used to identify the differences in people, not to label them as different. The word different should never be used in the situation to call someone different because are different from the “norm”. Let's face it there is no “norm” and they never will be; sure you can have people who think they are better, pretty or some other ridiculous excuse that they are better than anyone else. We are ALL HUMANS and no one is better than any other. People have been using different to describe the differences between two things for ages, and up until or recently people have been using the word different to bully, discriminate, or oppose harm to another. Different:  A word that knows no face, shape color, or race and a word with a very ugly connotation.

-Austin Jones

behind the scenes

The point of going to see a show, is to see the show. But the real show is what you don't see. What you do see is so well engraved into the actors brains that they could do it in their sleep, but they do give the performance 100% anyway. Behind the scenes of any show are stories that could (on some days) easily show up some pretty good comedians. Towards the end of the process of putting on a show, all of the actors are running on low amounts of sleep, so they can be very unpredictable and funny when no one is looking.

Rehearsals are the best and worst times of a play. They go from not knowing anyone to knowing each other like family. From nothing to a full play or musical. The most chaotic processes known to man... not really. They consume one's life anywhere from two weeks to three months. It all depends on the theater company, the scale of the show, and how long until the next show after the one at hand. All of that time is spent memorizing, learning, and even improvising to find the right move, or sound for something. In every show rehearsals also enclose tech week, which is when the directors, actors, and techies all learn all of the light cues. In some theaters that have much more stage to cover, more lights, and less time to rehearse, this week has lived up to a very sinister nickname: hell week. I have been told of a show where it took three days to get through 90 minutes of one show.  Thankfully this doesn't happen much in the Bemidji area, mainly because we don't have as many light riggings that more major theaters have to work with individually.

Backstage is one of the best places to be, especially if you know the show as well as the actors. The funniest thing I can imagine ever happening in theater is someone taking a camera and filming both the show and what happens backstage, then putting both recordings side by side. The resulting film would include many hyper actors trying to pass time until they have to go back onstage. With a strict no talking policy, this is very interesting. It mainly consists of multiple people lip syncing to whatever is going on onstage, and even taking on specific characters to act out the scenes where no one is watching. There is nothing short of entertainment back there.

Not only is backstage one of the funniest places to be, it is also one of the most chaotic. Most theaters have to work around set changes, so they have to keep everything backstage. I still wonder how Walker School kept everything backstage in their performance of Peter Pan. They had seven pretty big set pieces that all had to hide. Most actors also have multiple roles or costumes for their character. So they must rush backstage and change, sometimes including hair and makeup. In my opinion, one of theater's most impressive tricks is not somethings like making people fly, but the art of the quick change. I've heard from a friend of mine that he once had to change while running down one flight of stairs, past the orchestra pit, and back up another flight in about twenty seconds. One of the longest ones I know of takes about one minute, and I know it doesn't sound all that impressive, but believe me it is. The actor had to go through full prosthetics for a character, and she had multiple people around her working on it. I've also seen multiple changes actually done on stage. Those are the ones that impress me the most. These people manage to change hair, costume, in a matter of seconds in front of everyone.

The final part of a show, and one of the saddest, is strike. Strike is the destruction of the set that became a second home to the actors, collection of props and costumes, and final clean up of the theater. Everyone must take part in this, or face the shame of being lazy and leaving the work to others. How long it takes depends on how big the set was, how many pieces there were, how they were attached, and how much the director wants to keep for next year. It usually takes a couple hours to get absolutely everything done, and by the time it's all done, all the actors who stayed for the whole strike go home and collapse. The task is very tiring. Having to have built multiple sets for Walker, I did also have to participate in strike, and I usually found it fun because I got to take down some things that were quite a pain to build. But as an actor, I do find it painful to watch as it goes down. Strike means that the show is over, for real. When people say they are in denial about it, strike is what brings up the realization that it's all over.

Shows are extremely fun to watch, and that's why I love them. But please realize reader, that the performing isn't the hard part. The actors know the show inside and out. They even know many of the songs and scenes that they aren't even in by heart. The hard parts are what the audience never sees. Just because it's hard though, doesn't mean that they aren't also fun. Next time you go see a show, please think about all of the hard work that truly goes into it, and all the fun that the actors are having because of it.

-ls

tarantula

We all know the stories about tarantulas, the movies show giant spiders that can cause death with one bite!  But have you ever thought that maybe these spiders are gentle giants?  The word tarantula came from Southern Europe where people believed that the vary large and hairy spiders that lived there were dangerous.  They gave this spider the name, tarantula.  What these people were actually dealing with was the wolf spider.  The wolf spider is from the genus lycosidae which is related to the tarantula's genus theraphosidae, but is not the same.  People eventually immigrated from Southern Europe to the Americas where they found large hairy spiders that had similar characteristics, behaviors, and habitats that the wolf spider in Southern Europe did.  They mistakenly thought they were seeing the same spider that had terrorized them back home.  The name tarantula was brought with the new immigrants and was given to an entirely different spider.  Yet the name was adopted and used by general population of the Americas, and it is still widely used to describe very large, hairy spiders throughout the world. - vf

Charbux

In 1971, three local Seattle residents opened up a small coffee shop in Pikes Place Market in Seattle called Starbucks. Since then this local, independent business has grown into one of the largest corporations in the world. Starbucks is a large part of many peoples mornings, a lot of people rely on their morning coffee in order to start their day. Something that a lot of people tend to overlook when they are getting their coffee at Starbucks, however, is the customer service. Almost every time that I have been into Starbucks, whether they are busy or not, the barista never seems to show any sort of patience or emotion. They don't take the time to be polite and smile, or ask how you are; they just want to take your money and give you your overpriced coffee. I have not once had a barista there that is smiling and looks as if they are happy to be working there. This in no way makes me want to go back and order another $5.00 coffee if I know they are not going to take the time to show a little courtesy to their customers. Not only do the employees show very little courtesy, but they also show a lack of knowledge and experience in preparing coffees. The last time I was there, I ordered a latte with one pump of peppermint, a simple order for anyone with any knowledge of making coffee. When I got the latte, it tasted plain, I soon realized that there was no peppermint in it. When I told the barista what was wrong, they replied by saying this, "Oh, we don't serve peppermint flavored espresso." I had to explain to him several times that I didn't want peppermint flavored espresso, I wanted peppermint flavored syrup added to my drink. When he finally understood what I was asking for, he looked at me with disdain and took the previous drink from my hand, saying sarcastically, "Well sorry, this time I'll make it perfect for you." 

     It is not only the customer service that gets me, that alone I can look past, but there are other reasons why I dislike Starbucks, one of which is the quality of their espresso. When the espresso is mixed into a drink with other ingredients such as milk or chai, it tastes fine, but itself alone is unbearable. This is partially because of the way that Starbucks roasts their beans. They purposely over roast their beans so that they can get a uniform flavor throughout all their products. It is a shame that this uniform flavor that they try to accomplish is absolutely horrible. While some coffee shops will use a dark roast to create a spicy,smokey flavor in their espresso, Starbucks seems to roast past this point, that is why theirs turn out to have a burnt, chalky flavor. Another reason for this flavor is greed. Starbucks wants to make the most and spend the least money possible, that is why they keep their beans much longer than they should. They tend to keep their beans up to about six months at most after being ground, this however allows a lot of the flavor to escape. So instead of buying new beans and only keeping the ground ones for a few weeks like they should, they server the customers month old beans that aren't at their prime. This isn't complained about often, however, because most customers there don't know what good espresso should taste like, and are happy with being served this sad excuse for coffee because they get it quick.

     Now some people would say that they are able to look past these things because Starbucks represents something much larger than just coffee, it is an example of the American dream. It started as a small coffee shop being run by three teachers, and became one of the largest corporations in the world. I can't argue with the fact that this company is extremely successful, especially with such humble beginnings, but what I can say is this; in many places where a Starbucks opens up, it destroys somebody elses hopes and dreams for creating and expanding their own business. Independent coffee shops often stand no chance against this corporate giant, the fan base for Starbucks is obviously larger and it sucks away customers from the local businesses. The way that Starbucks kills other companies is no accident, in fact, a common practice for Starbucks is to buy out their competitors' leases in order to keep competition down. This practices in turn takes away the chance of many others to successfully become an example of the American dream. Wouldn't you say that destroying other businesses with your financial superiority just to gain the upper hand is a little unethical?

Basketball Phrases

In the sport of basketball, there are several words or phrases, which could be a kind of slang, to express the player’s emotions on the court.  These have developed over time to make an appropriate, motivating way to convey the player’s energy with what he/she has just done.  The three phrases I researched were:  “all day,” “get that crap out of here,” and “hacked.”

When players are on fire, they tend to say “all day” to their defender.  This means that the player can keep playing the way they are for the whole game, mainly to embarrass the victim of their awesomeness.  Using this phrase also gets the crowd excited because they know that those two players will try to rival the other’s efforts throughout the whole game, creating a dazzling display of fancy dribbling and tough jump shots.  But if the player that’s on fire cannot keep playing the way they were, they get humiliated and their reputation is stained from their cockiness.

Blocked shots are arguably the most exciting thing to see on the basketball court.  This is also the best motivator for a player on the court that some call “The Garden of Eden.”  When there is a very good block that goes flying, the player has the right to say “get that crap out of here!”  The blocker wants their opponent to stay out of their way, out of their “house.”  The glory felt when experiencing this feeling of blocking a basketball “out of the park” cannot be explained:  it can only be imagined.

Everyone gets into the game after a few good crossovers and touch jump shots.  Eventually, fouls are inevitable, but some of these fouls are missed by the ref and aren’t called.  Hard fouls are the best, though.  Players usually say they got “hacked” by their foe.  This is a way to voice their disappointment without getting in trouble, but if they take it to far, a technical foul will be called.  Their emotions will be “hacked” after that call.

Basketball has been here for over a century, so some slang was unavoidable.  But this makes the game more exciting to watch and hear about.  Basketball slang will continue to evolve as time goes on, and it will continue to motivate both the audience and the players.  It will continue to make a difference in the very game basketball.

~Chamalmy

Favorite Social Networks...

I use multiple websites to keep up with life, news, and friends. I use Facebook, Youtube (yes, it is considered a social application), MyYearbook, Google +, and Twitter to keep up with everything. But overall, Facebook is my personal favorite.    

    I like Facebook most because of its general ease of use. I also like it because it has a lot of great games that actually make sense. Sometimes when I’m bored, I’ll just go onto Facebook and talk to friends. I’ve used Facebook for over four years, YouTube for five years, Twitter for about a year, Google + for approximately two months, and MyYearbook for a few months. So, what I’m saying is, after a while of using several applications a person can adapt to using so many applications to keep up with life. -dp

Break A Leg

In fifth grade I was enrolled into an actual school, after being homeschooled by entire life. From fifth to eighth grade, I was in the school play every year. As my confidence and love for acting grew, I auditioned for bigger roles. In my experience, the “extras” aren’t frequently granted a “congratulations” or “good luck”. However, last year, as I was about to go on stage playing a fairly large part  in the musical Grease, I heard, “break a leg, Kalli!”

At the time, I was preoccupied with listening for my cue and I’m not entirely sure that I thanked the person. I have since then thought about why people say that to performers, anyway. If I had never heard the phrase “break a leg before,” I would be slightly taken aback and my response would most likely not have been thank you. Since when, I thought, had wishing someone to break a bone become good fortune? I can now answer my own question. So this is for eighth grade meL the earliest known example in print was in Edna Ferber’s 1939 A Peculiar Treasure.# 

But, really, where are the origins of the notable phrase. The answer is: all over the world, literally. In Greece, during Elizabethan times, smacking their chairs on the ground was the audience’s form of applause. If crashed hard enough, the legs of the chairs would break.# In Ancient Rome, for a form of entertainment, gladiators would fight to the death in coliseums. By wishing the gladiators good luck, they were wishing that their opponent would only cripple them, but not take their lives.# 

People all over the world, for centuries, have been using “break a leg” as a saying of good luck. Have people for centuries been superstitious, not wanting to jinx a performer by wishing them success? I don’t know that for sure. But what I do know for sure is that every time I hear “break a leg,” I won’t have to wonder where the phrase originated. 

love, love, love

LOVE! You hear the word every single day and if you don't hear it you most likely seen it, but what does it really mean? If you asked a book worm, he/she is more likely to say that it's an intense affection towards someone. If you ask a five years-old, she/he would say that you really like someone or thing- like how he/she loves pizza. If you ask a super religous person, he/she would say that it's God. So, why can't I tell the world what I think about love?

To tell you the truth, it's cliche! I am not saying that I am anti-love, and I don't beleive in it. I am just saying that its lost its meaning. The reason why I beleiive that its lost its meaning is because it over used! Not only is the word losing it's meaning and being over used, it's being used incorrectly. People say that they love cake but what they should be saying was that they like the taste, texture, and smell. When they say that that they love spending time with someone, they sould really be saying that they enjoyed spending time with them. The next time you are about to use the word love, think if you are using the word right and change it to like if you think that it doesn't fit you idea of love. (And, yes, I do make the mistake of using love incorrectly sometimes.)

-be

Shawty.

In the beginning, shawty referred to a short person or child, but the span of the word has grown to include any and all people, especially a girl that is attractive; it is mostly used as a term of respect to others or just a way of addressing someone, like Wassup shawty, instead of hey Man.  It is written in ancient legend that the word shawty originated in urban Atlanta, when Derrell Brown called his wife shawty. It spawned a sensation across the world that would change the lives of many people. 

       When I first was called a shawty, I wasn't sure what to think of it, but now my life revolves around it. I can't live a day without someone calling me Shawty, it makes me feel as if I'm important, or special, and I believe if people start calling more people shawty, the world would be a better place.

-omniscient 

horrific experience

One of the most horrific times of my life was the summer going into sixth grade. I never realized all the conveniences of life I took for granted until the day my life took a turn for the worse. My only intention was to have a fun experience, but unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking of the consequences. The date -July 3, 2008. This day was one of the nicest, yet most disastrous days of the summer. July 31, 2008, was ironically beautiful; birds were out, rays of sun were shining down on the lake making a sensational illusion, and the forest had a particular stunning prospect. Previous months had been cloudy, gloomy, and hazy during this long forsaken summer.
          I was watching my brother ride his scooter that he had recently gotten from our grandparents. The delight on his face as he rode his scooter down our small trail to the lake was consoling. “Kali! Kali!” he shrieked, as he came up from the trail with the scooter in his hands. “You have to try this! It’s so fun!” I took the handles of the scooter and slid the base of the scooter under my feet getting ready to proceed down to the lake. The trail was made up of dirt with vines and roots sticking up from the earth's soil.  I began my small journey down the bewildering trail, mimicking my younger brothers actions. The warm wind was blowing in my face and my hair was dancing all around as I felt the scooter increase in speed. I had picked up speed fairly quickly and my thoughts wandered fast. I began to feel a little frightened because I was going a little too fast for my contentment. I slowed down my speed as I got closer to my destination. As I came to the end of the short trail I was ecstatic and full of liveliness. The scooter came to a slow halt and I quickly gathered myself and ran up the hill with the scooter in my hands -wanting more. Wanting to feel the rush of adrenaline again. 

Just as quickly as I approached the top of the trail I was off again. The speed at which the scooter was going had increased once again, however, this time I didn’t slow down. I loved the thrill of the ride! I approached the lake far more quickly than before, but this time there was no stopping. I figured I would just ride the scooter down the trail, make a turn and start riding up another trail to slow my pace down. Perfect plan, I thought to myself. However, my speed kept increasing and it increased to the point where I had absolutely no control of what I was doing. I bolted down the trail and at the point where I was supposed to make a turn, I didn’t turn quite enough. I slammed into a stump and went flying into the air. I plowed into the ground shoulder first, crashing my head a split second later. I felt this horrific, shocking pain immediately when I hit the ground. Shrieking in pain, I called out to my mother who had seen this whole incident take place. She helped me up to my feet and walked me over to a chair. I sat in the chair for an hour or two shaking back and forth hoping the pain might ease up. But of course, it never did.

 Later, when brought up to the house my mom suggested that I might’ve broken a bone. That thought had never actually crossed my mind. This scenario took place during early afternoon. I remember my mom had promised to go swimming with us later that day and I was super excited because she never goes swimming. It would have been her first time that whole summer. My parents had suggested bringing me into town to have my shoulder checked out, but being as stubborn as I am, I refused thinking nothing was wrong. I spent the whole night in agony being unable to move positions because of the splintering pain in my shoulder. After hours of not being able to sleep and the scrutinizing pain, I began to think I might have a sleepless night. This was indeed what happened. When my room began to lighten up from the sun, a feeling of comfort overcame me. Around seven or eight I heard my dad's footsteps. I tried to build up the confidence to sit up knowing the pain in my entire left arm was going to be more dreadful than it already was. I slowly sat up and a shooting pain went through my shoulder that gave me a feeling of complete discomfort. My parents immediately brought me to the clinic visibly seeing the deformation of my shoulder. The clinic took x-rays of my left arm showing that I had severely dislocated my shoulder, as well as, fractured it. Two different surgeries were to take place and metal pins needed to be placed in my shoulder joint to hold my shoulder and the joint together. 

I was miserable enough as it was not being able to move my entire left arm or dress myself, but, I couldn’t even go to the bathroom or take a shower without assistance. People can’t wear casts on their joints so I was given a sling. Even if I had just moved my finger, I would feel a throbbing pain in my left shoulder. I dislocated and broke my shoulder during the nicest month of summer. I couldn’t do any summer activity that I usually did such as, swimming, biking, climbing and much much more. It took months of time and physical therapy for my shoulder to eventually heal. During this period I also had a rare tick-born illness disease that made me very sick. I had other problems as well, however, I would prefer not to mention these problems because it tends to make me feel uncomfortable. To this day I still don’t have complete movement of my left shoulder and have much less strength in my left arm. What remains is an abnormal scar on my left arm from the two surgeries and a noticeable deformation in my left shoulder.

When I think back on this rough period though, I don’t look upon it with regrets. This experience taught me some valuable life lessons. It was from this horrific experience I learned how fragile life is and how lucky I am to have good health. I learned to make better decisions and think before I act. I learned how everyone makes mistakes and how almost everyone takes everything for granted. Most importantly, I learned the true meaning of life.

-kb

True Meaning

My older brother Josh has Asperger’s Syndrome, a part of the autism spectrum. Josh has to be one of my favorite people in the world.  Actually, Josh’s autism is one of my favorite things about him.  It makes him who he is - unique.  I would be a completely different person if I hadn’t been able to learn from Josh.  He taught me to never give up- no matter what people say- and to truly be proud of who you are, despite labels and misunderstandings.  However, some people beg to differ.  I have had personal encounters with “the misuse of “retard” or “retarded”.  Once, a troubled, teenaged boy stated upon being offered help by my mother said, “I don’t need your help.  I’m not one of your retarded kids.” I was shocked by this snide remark pertaining to my brother and others like him.  This was one of the first times I had heard somebody use “retarded” as if it was ambiguous in a hurtful way.  The way my brother handled it, however, was quite interesting.  “Yeah, retarded,” He said, lips pursed, after the boy left.  “Retarded like a fox!” A grin crept across his face as well as my mother’s and mine, laughter slipping out of all of us.
    This instance began opening my eyes to how often this term is incorrectly used.  It isn’t fair that people or things should be labeled this way.  It may be hard to imagine, Reader, but think about it.  What if it was your brother, your sister, your cousin, your parent, your friend, or even yourself?  It is truly hurtful.  People don’t deserve to be hurt like that.  These people that are being called brainless and dumb can be some of the most successful people in the world.  Bill Gates has autism, and so did Albert Einstein.  Those are some of the greatest and most successful minds known to mankind!  My goofy older brother graduated high school, entered the United States Navy and graduated boot camp on track to become a Navy SEAL.  He was deployed, returned, and is now going to come home, enroll in college and study to become a music teacher.
    The step that needs to be taken towards a clarified understanding and lesser amount of misuse of “retard” and “retarded” is simply by informing others.  People need to be informed about the misuse and true definition of these words.  The only way I learned was through growing up with my brother.  If people don’t know the true definition, how will they be able to correctly use the word?  You don’t even have to start big.  Begin with your friends and let the news spread.  Encourage the correct use of the word and politely inform those who misuse it.  If somebody ignores or disagrees with you, move on.  Just a few people are a large enough amount to get something going.  This is the call to action, the time to rise.  Please, help make sure the true meaning is heard and understood.    

HS    

swag!

Have you ever said you have swag? Do you even know what swag means? You might not want to say you have swag after I tell you one of the true definitions of swag!

Today people use in many different ways, from saying that they look cool, or even the way they're are dressed-  they have so much swag. The latest people to make the term really popular is Pauly D and Justin Bieber. Pauly D has his own brand of T-Shirts that say swag. And, Justin Bieber made it popular with his newest song "Boyfriend" where he repeats swaggy about 20 times.

 Well, it's finally time to find out what the true definition of swag:   A suspended wreath, garland, drapery, or the like, fastened up at or near each end and hanging down in the middle; festoon. Is that what you thought swag meant- that you are a pine tree decoration? Justin Bieber, is that what you really thought swag meant? You're a home decoration? Pauly D, do you really want to have shirts saying that? 

Yeah, I will probably keep on saying swag swag swag!

Cozumel!

Everything always seems to be more extravagant and unique in the eyes of an innocent, curious child. However, whenever I’m in a luxurious place, such as an incredible terrain, the child inside me thrives to come out. There are many places that I could specify as my “favorite” place to be, but there is one place in particular that I absolutely admire. Off the coast of Mexico, there is a small, secluded island called Cozumel. There are innumerable reasons why this discrete island is my favorite place. As a child, I walked on the shores of this sensational island, a feeling of complete contentment embellished me. I would run through the turquoise ocean tides and skip along the sandy shores thinking I was on top of the world. Despite my eagerness to persuade others to visit this place because this island is so remarkably breathtaking, I find myself hesitant to share such beauty as I would prefer to keep it my own special secret. I remember swimming in the warm ocean water, tasting the salt as it splashed in my face. My family and I use to ride the refreshing ocean waves and let the tide bring us back into shore. The dry, hot sand on the beach was decidedly soft as I often buried my feet and hands in it when I would sit down. I remember being buried in the damp, sticky sand and making countless sand castles. One of my favorite things to do was go snorkeling. When we went snorkeling in the coral reefs, it was breathtaking. I remember thinking it was the most beautiful scenery in the world. The turquoise water, colorful coral and brilliant colors of fish all complimented each other and were absolutely stunning. There is life everywhere under the water and everything was absolutely sensational. The days on this island always flew by. The countless memories I make when I visit this island is incredible. That is why Cozumel, Mexico is definitely a marvelous place to visit.

kb. 

audabon park

Favorite Place

In my 15 years of living, I have visited hundreds of places, all of which are unique in one way or another.  Some of these include Billings, Branson, and the hot springs of the Rocky Mountains.  But out of all of those diverse locations, my favorite place is an outdoor basketball court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  There are two reasons why I love this place:  it’s the perfect place to go to whenever I’m in doubt, and it seems to be the only place I am at peace.

In Minneapolis, life can get stressful really fast, whether it’s from being claustrophobic or being robbed.  So, to get away I go to this basketball court that resides in Audabon Park.  It is right on the bottom of a hill, so it is very secluded.  To me, this place seems to be trapped in time, never changing as I go there every other weekend.  When I shoot baskets there, with a little friend I like to called Spalding (a basketball), no one has ever disturbed me or came up to me asking for money.  I can just be there without being disturbed by anybody, and that’s nice because it allows me to do some real soul-searching.

I have never played on a basketball court as calm as I have played on this one.  Whenever I play pickup games there, when there is any, I always cannot be stopped.  I’ve even played against former college basketball starts at Audabon Park, and yet I still can score more points than them.  In Audabon Park, I am unstoppable.  But the smile on my face is not a smile of arrogance;  it is a smile of happiness and contentment.  I feel as if I could live there happily without any money or food.  I could survive on the sheer love I have for Audabon Park.

To me, Audabon Park is the perfect place for me.  It’s the only place that will satisfy my emotional wants.  Maybe one day I could live near there so I could take my young ones to play basketball with me.  This little park in Minneapolis is all I need to survive.

~Chamalmy

Africa

If I were to choose a place I could go, I would most definitely want to visit Africa. I would want to visit Africa because of it fascinating history, great culture, and exquisite beauty. Africa has great horizions, interesting people, and much more. I was inspired to visit Africa after watching the movie The Lion King, although it is an animated version of Africa, because it captures the great aspects of the very large continent like the different tribes, or the true care they give to animals. Overall, Africa would be a great place to visit.

I’ll start with the landscape, particularly Southern Africa. This region has a wide diversity of ecoregions including grassland, bushveld, karoo, savannah and riparian zones.This region includes species such as white rhino, lion, leopard, impala, kudu, blue wildebeest, vervet monkey and elephants. Africa’s “High Grasslands”, the high grasslands cover almost all of the southern peninsula, but are unfortunately being destroyed along with other plants and wildlife be overpopulation. These plains have very tall grasses and the grasses can range in color from dusty-grey to vibrant-green in some regions. The beauty sunsets are a amazing sight, looking at the reddish-orange sun sunken half way so only the top remaining portion is shown and with its rays distorting the small area around the edge, is a empowering image. It brings tranquillity back to the craziness of reality. Africa as a whole gives off that effect. The plains are not just any plains- these plains are home to many different species, just like the high grasslands, such as white rhino, lion, leopard, impala, and more. Even though these plains may only contain one tree for 50 miles or more, that tree could be a very fascinating if people would only stop and look a little closer. The Umbrella Thorn tree has a grey-brown color though the trunk and the branches, but at the top it has resilient greenery. The top of the tree is covered with bushy greenery, vibrant, luscious, green leaves. But this is not the only tree in Africa, there are so many which include, but is not limited to, the Wild Date Palm- a palm tree with feather-shaped leaves, very nice (even though the tree is 6 meters tall), or the commonly known Bushwillow- a wide spread, fairly common shrub, up to 4 meters tall, which grows on both deep sand and loamy-sand. The leaves are relatively large compared to others. All these trees can be found the Africa’s great savannahs, lone plains, thriving forests.

Just stating some facts, but hopefully you will see why overall Africa is a very wonderful place, full of brilliant colors and fascinating landscapes. Africa has so many different aspects and to only look at one or few is to look at the Statue of Liberty through a paper tube. You may know what you are looking at but you only see a small glimpse of what is truly there a great place- Africa.

-aj

NYC

The favorite place I have ever been is to New York City. It's one of my favorite because I lived there for four years of my life,  my mom and dad are both from there, and all my family lives there. It's not just my favorite place because of all the stuff like the museums, stores and sight-seeing, it's because my family is there and old family friends.  All the other stuff is fun, but not as much being around your family. The food there is so good. The Empire State Building was one of the coolest things there, except the gift shop because everything was $30. It's also so much different than Bemidji, of course, but it's nice get to a big city and just different mood than Bemidji. -br

madagascar

After thinking awhile, and looking through pictures of possible places I would want to go, I decided the perfect place I would want to visit would be the island of Madagascar. Madagascar is an island in the Indian ocean east of Africa, widely know for their beautiful cities, amazing and rare animals, and breathtaking ocean views. My reasons for wanting to go here is the ocean view and animals. Madagascar is home to roughly 200,000 animals- 150,000 of them being endemic, meaning they don't exist anywhere else. Some of these animals include various types of Lemurs and frogs, Aye-Ayes, Fossa's, Tenrec's, the Giraffe Weevil, Giant Leaf-Tailed gecko, and the newly found chameleons (among the tiniest reptiles in the world). But sadly, out of the hundreds of kinds of lemurs, about 40 kinds are a threatened species because of illegal poaching. Same with the tortoise of Madagascar, facing a close extinction. Poaching's not the only reason why some animals are going extinct, but there are also other human-caused effects and loss of habitat. It is estimated that only 3% of Madagascar's once massive forest is still there. 

The other reason I want to go to Madagascar is because of the ocean scenery. Madagascar has amazing and beautiful ocean views such as Ile Sainte Marie and Nosy Iranja. Just thinking of being on one of these beaches, lying on the powder white sand, the rays of sun on my face, the sound of the crashing waves, makes me want to by a first class flight to Madagascar. -ab

where I want to go...

We live in a world filled with opportunities for adventure.   We are at liberty to travel to distance lands of fun at almost any time, but of all the places to visit in the world, I think that the best place is the bathroom.  The adventurous atmosphere of the water closet is created by the usage of the loo and the decor that can be contained.

   The bathroom is the best place to visit because you can relieve yourself of your your body's unwanted nutrients.  You can also take a relaxing bubble bath or take a shower.  Another great thing about the bathroom is that you can be naked for an extended period of time without anyone caring.  Clearly, the bathroom gives people freedom and relaxation.  

   The best thing by far about the bathroom is the option to let loose the storm that has been brewing in your bowels all week.  You have the right to fart really loud and make the entire room reek with the stench of the Arby's dinner you ate last week.  As you can clearly see, I love the bathroom because it protects the rights of those who need to defaecate. 

- RJ

Jamaica

I would like to visit Jamaica. I would love to visit there because it is warm and cozy in that region. And, the pictures I’ve seen of the beautiful blue waters of Jamaica convinces me that it is the--not number two--but number one place to visit. 

I like to hang out at beaches too, so that makes it doubly good. Now these are not just any old sand bars next to some old water source, these are Caribbean beaches! Have watched the film Pirates of the Caribbean and seen how beautiful all of those beaches are? Most likely I would guess they were somewhere near Jamaica. Better yet- one of my favorite movies Cool Runnings takes place in Jamaica. I very much enjoyed that movie, so that leads me to believe that I would enjoy it there a lot. If I see one of those “You could win a trip to Jamaica!” slogans on the back of a cereal box, you know which cereal I’m going to buy.

-el

Florida

My favorite place to visit would have to be Florida. I have been all over Florida once on a family vacation two summers ago. My dad, little brother Garwin, older brother Zack, and I went to Palm Bay, Florida, for a week. Palm Bay is on the east side of Florida on the Atlantic Ocean. The drive was about two full days of non-stop driving. When we arrived to Palm Bay, the temperature was already in the mid 90's. I remember because I got sunburned the first hour I was there. When we got our luggage into our hotel, we immediately set off into the town to look around. Our first night there, we had fresh alligator bites from a local diner. Over the next few days, we explored the small town of Palm Bay, and helped out many small businesses. Florida became my favorite place to be because it felt as if we were already welcomed into the community in the short time we were there. -hK

Land Of The Lost!

I would Love to visit Land Of The Lost because there are green alien, lizzard things, dinosaur, and weird Choka people --what's not love? Although this place sounds all fun and games, it isn't. You must learn how to avoid making fun-of a T-Rex so you don't get a huge walnut thrown at you. You also have to look out for falling ice-cream truck, and maybe get a ice-cream power puff girl treat before the phalopsurasters get them all. Even though you may risk the chace of getting ripped to shreds by the phalopsurasters, at least you had  the chance to eat that delicious ice-cream (mmmmm yummy). So, if your thinking on taking a trip to a place that'll blow your mind, this is the place to go.  

Not only is the resident pretty steller, but the landscape is awesome (you must say this in a funny voice out loud. Go ahead you know you want to do it... just do it!). Jut think about it! There's a place where you could claim you found everything because the last two people died or where to stupid to remember to right about it. You wouldn't have to worry about pollution in the air because there would be little to none in the area. Did I forget to mention that you get free king (when I saying I mean king of the king) crab and free (ahhh?) drinks because the crab also falls from the sky. 

These are all the reason why moving to the Land Of The Lost would be a dream come true!

Choka Fanatic 

St. George, Utah

My favorite place to visit is St. George, Utah.

St. George is about an hour and a half from Las Vegas, Nevada, in Southern Utah. I love going to St. George because it's always sunny and warm! On our last visit we stayed at a hotel and when we got up in the mornings and went to the pool, it was 82 degrees - here in Cass Lake it was 23 degrees! The canyons, as you drive into St. George, are full of colors blacks, oranges, reds, greys, blues and even a little bit of green. You can see Joshua Trees (cactus), palm trees, and even a few lakes.

I always enjoy visiting there because my great-grandfather and cousin live there. When we visit St. George, we enjoy going to the Lava Caves in Snow Canyon, and the sand dunes. The sand dunes are warm and you can feel the heat through your shoes. Snow Canyon is full of orange and red walls of sandstone. The lava caves are from old magma flows and really dark; we needed headlights and had to watch our heads because the lava rocks are really sharp.

Our last visit was to say goodbye to my great-grandma, yet even though the trip was full of sorrow, we still made lots of amazing memories. We had water fights, we hiked, we swam, we laughed and we took care of Grandpa Perry. My mom and dad showed us where they met, their schools and places they went as teenagers. We drove through the neighborhood and saw the house where my mom grew up, we drove past the spot where mom and dad met while cruising the boulevard. We even drove past subdivisions my Grandpa Perry developed. It was pretty cool to see the town I was born in and how it had changed.

My great-grandpa took me and my parents to one of his investment homes. It was AMAZING! It had a pool in the middle of the house, an awesome lava rock yard, a wall that opened all the way up so you could barbecue while still being inside. I even put dibbs on which room I wanted! The home was full of windows and you could feel the sunshine through each window.

St. George is a large city, with all the shopping you can imagine, golf courses everywhere, a large hospital complex, a college, lots and lots of restaurants. There is a Latter-Day Saint temple and Latter-Day Saint Churches on what looked like every corner. I wouldn't want to live there because the summers get really hot, but I love visiting. Each trip is always fun, full of laughs and lots of love. The best part of our trips are the stories that get retold over and over about St. George. We get to hear about how my mom and dad were both cruising the boulevard and my mom and her cousin thought my dad and his friends were cussing and flipping them off, so my mom and her cousin stopped to see why they were mad at them and come to find out they were just telling them to come over and talk to them. It's always neat to see the place they first met.

-tk

Stage

My favorite place to be is where I feel most at home. I feel most at home under the hot lights, shining on my back with a crowd watching me, with the fiercest weapon in front of me. That weapon is the power of voice, freedom, and lyric. That weapon is a microphone. I could say anything, sing anything, or play anything and be heard throughout the venue. I love it.

Some people share a very common fear. Stage fright. I’ve never had experienced any form of this in my life, not even nervousness before a performance.  Some get nervous in front of a camera, others public speaking. What ever the scenario, I think it is caused by lack of experience. I came to that conclusion because I have been performing since a very young age, and I think that is reason why I’m so comfortable on stage. After talking to several people about having stage fright, the most common reason comes down to mistakes. You might mess up and the audience will notice and possibly comment, resulting in your embarrassment. This is why people love live performances. Mistakes happen, and you just have to keep going and accept it as something that was bound to happen. Every performance you’ll make a mistake, and every mistake will always be different.

I love performing, I love being on stage. The moments I spend in the limelight are the moments in pure bliss for me. Each performance is unique in many ways. The venue, along with different venues come a different crowd of people. With each crowd of people you want to pick an appropriate set list. With each set list you make different mistakes. People will respond differently depending on your stage presence. How do you want the audience to feel? Uncomfortable? Do you want to, by making them uncomfortable, be in control of them? Do you want them to feel at home? Do you want them to feel comfortable enough to dance?

It’s all up to you. You, the performer. You can awe them, surprise them, essentially invoke any emotion you want out your audience. You, the performer. 

GB

where I want to go

                     If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to Argentina or France because I have always wanted to go either of those places. The main reasons why I would want to go to both of these places is because I want to meet new people and see new places.

         

                     I have always wanted to learn French because the language has always sounded beautiful.  I really want to see the Eiffel Tower because it looks huge and it seems like a very cool place to go.  Also, the Rush Hour 3 was filmed in France, and I love all the rush hour movies so it would be a dream of mine to go there. 

I also have always wanted to go to Argentina because I use to love the Cheetah Girls movies, and they went there in one of their movies. But I also want to go to a zoo in Argentina because there is a zoo where they let you sit on a full-grown male lion, which seems like a very awesome thing to do.  There hasn't been one attack on anybody from the lion, which is good, obviously.  They make sure that the animals are fed so that no one gets hurt when they go into cages.  

Both France and Argentina appeal to me very much because they have things that I really want to do in my life.

-ss